Information Letter Template (Survey) Implied Consent

(adapted from University of Ottawa)

ON INSTITUTIONAL LETTERHEAD
(If electronic – institutional logo should be present)

The “implied consent text” herein is merely a template and it should be adapted to accurately
reflect your research project. For ease of reading, please use titles for each paragraph and avoid
using abbreviations and acronyms. The italicized text is instructional and should be removed in
the final version.

Title of the study: Please indicate the exact title of the study as it appears in the ethics
application

Principal Investigator(s) (Supervisor(s)): Dr. XXX

Assistant Professor
School of XXX
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
(780) 492-0000 ext. XXXX

Co-investigator(s) (Student(s)): (if applicable)

1) The telephone number and email address of the supervisor must appear on this form.
2) Students should refrain from putting their home telephone numbers and email addresses.
Only institutional contact information should be provided.

Invitation to Participate: You are invited to participate in this research study 1) about (name
topic) i.e., using a computer or 2) because you have a certain condition/criteria. I.e., you have
experience working with immigrant populations. [If possible and appropriate, and hasn’t been
addressed in a separate cover letter) indicate how you got their contact information]

Purpose of the Study: From this research we wish to learn [clearly indicate why the research is
being done. Explain what hypothesis is being tested and what the research is supposed to
demonstrate].

Participation: If you wish to participate in this study, please complete the attached survey. The
survey should take you approximately [indicate the estimated length of time for completion of the
survey, this can be a range. i.e., 15-20 minutes] to complete. You do not have to answer any
questions that you do not want to answer. Once you have completed the survey, please return it in
the stamped self-addressed envelope provided [or describe any alternate method of returning the
survey. In the case of electronic submission, state that one should choose the “submit” button]
We would appreciate receiving it before [date.] If we do not receive it by said date, we will send
you a notice of reminder (This is true only for those studies where anonymity is not guaranteed
and the participant is aware that there is no opportunity for such. These statements can be
removed in the case of an anonymous survey. However, if reminders will be sent to everyone,

UofA Ethics ID: Pro000XXXXX 1

Version Date: 15 Jul 2021 [for referencing and version control; update when content changes]
regardless if they’ve already participated, then this should be stated. If more than one reminder
will be sent, state how many along with the time interval between notices - * NOTE – the REB
will approve a maximum of three reminder notices)

Benefits: Indicate any direct personal benefits to participation in the study. These should match
the benefits described in section 3.2 of the application. If there aren’t any, this should be stated.

Risks: List any risks identified in section 3.1 of the application here along with what will be done
to mitigate those risks. I.e., if emotional upset is possible, provide a list of resources or instruct
the participant to contact the researcher. If there aren’t any risks this should also be stated.

Confidentiality and Anonymity: The information that you will share will remain strictly
confidential and will be used solely for the purposes of this research. The only people who will
have access to the research data are [clearly explain who will have access do the data]. Your
answers to open-ended questions may be used verbatim in presentations and publications but
neither you (nor your organization) will be identified. In cases where data collection is done
via email / Internet, and particularly where the topic is personal or involves risk, please
include the following sentence (or a similar one, as it applies to your project: “In order to
minimize the risk of security breaches and to help ensure your confidentiality we
recommend that you use standard safety measures such as signing out of your account,
closing your browser and locking your screen or device when you are no longer using
them / when you have completed the study.” Where the survey software/program used
for data collection is housed on servers located in the continental USA add a statement
indicating that the data is subject to USA privacy legislation. Results will be published in
pooled (aggregate) format [if true]. Anonymity is guaranteed since you are not being asked to
provide your name or any personal information [if true. If not, indicate status of anonymity].
State whether name, email or IP addresses will be available to the research team and if
so, how confidentiality will be protected.

Data Storage: Paper surveys will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in the office of the supervisor
[or researcher] at the University of Alberta for a minimum period of 5 years. Electronic copies
of the survey will be encrypted and stored on a password protected computer in the department of
(home department of researcher/supervisor) at the University of Alberta.

Compensation (or Reimbursement): Mention if there is compensation or opportunity to

participate in a lottery draw (see the University of Alberta Compensation Guidelines for rules
surrounding the use of lotteries and reimbursement). Compensation must not be coercive; if a
participant withdraws from the study, they should still receive the compensation: “If you
choose to withdraw from the study, you will still receive this compensation”. If the survey
is otherwise anonymous, describe how the participant provides their contact information in a
confidential way in order to receive their compensation or entry into the draw. This should be
separate from their survey responses. I.e., most online software systems have a mechanism
whereby identifiers can be collected on a separate page. This section can be removed if no
compensation is offered.

Voluntary Participation: You are under no obligation to participate and if you choose to
participate, you may refuse to answer questions that you do not want to answer. Should you
choose to withdraw midway through the electronic survey simply close the link and no responses
will be included [revise as applicable to your situation]. Given the anonymous nature of the

UofA Ethics ID: Pro000XXXXX 2

Version Date: 15 Jul 2021 [for referencing and version control; update when content changes]
survey, once you have submitted your responses it will no longer be possible to withdraw them
from the study. If not anonymous, outline the timeline and conditions for withdrawal. Some
survey programs record the data as the participant responds. It is preferred that the data from
incomplete surveys not be used, especially in the case of anonymous surveys where withdrawal is
not possible. The research should explicitly state what happens to the data.

Information about the Study Results: Indicate whether or not the research findings will be
available to the participants, and if so, how the findings will be made available for them.

Contact Information: If you have any questions or require more information about the study
itself, you may contact the researcher (or his/her supervisor) at the numbers mentioned herein.

The plan for this study has been reviewed by a Research Ethics Board at the University of
Alberta. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant or how the
research is being conducted you may contact the Research Ethics Office at 780-492-2615.

Please keep this form for your records. (where electronic, indicate if the participant should print
a copy for their records or if possible, provide a link to a pdf version that can be downloaded).

Completion and submission of the survey means your consent to participate.

Note: Where third party survey platforms or services are used, such as MTurk, alterations to this
template may be required. For example, MTurk has specific consent and compensation
guidelines that cannot be altered. However, these would be considered by the REB on an
individual case basis.

UofA Ethics ID: Pro000XXXXX 3

Version Date: 15 Jul 2021 [for referencing and version control; update when content changes]